LENT 2016 THE SEVEN LAST WORDS OF CHRIST Father, forgive them Luke 23:34 Layne Lebo February 7, 2016 Wednesday is Ash Wednesday, the start of the Lenten season. The Church has observed the practice of Lent since its early days. Lent consists of the 40 days before Easter, excluding Sundays. Lent has traditionally been a season of spiritual focus a time of remembrance and sacrifice and purification for followers of Jesus and a time of discipling and teaching the basics of the faith to recent converts and those preparing to be baptized. A Lenten practice that many of us are familiar with is giving up something for Lent. The idea behind giving up something or fasting, is that as we deny ourselves physically, our hearts, minds and bodies are attuned to Christ and spiritual matters. Fasting is a tangible way of experiencing the truth Jesus spoke of in response to the devil s temptation to turn stones into bread to satisfy his hunger, Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. Fasting can be an especially important and meaningful practice for followers of Jesus in our culture where the focus is so much on the material that the spiritual is often overlooked or dismissed as irrelevant. Wherever you might be in your own spiritual journey this year, I encourage you to see these next 6 weeks before Easter as a time of spiritual focus, by choosing to make some adjustments in how you normally live that will help you re-focus on your relationship with Jesus. In conjunction with our sermon series Susan Vigliano and Randy Saultz have put together weekly meditations and prayers surrounding the Seven Last Words of Christ. You can pick up a hard copy of the devotional at the Welcome Center or you can also access it on line. Our focus during Lent, once again this year, is on the cross. Last year I preached a series of messages on The Crosses of Lent, and we focused on themes such as healing, humility, hope and suffering. The cross is central to our identity as followers of Jesus, but it s a strange object that doesn t make a lot of sense to many in our present day. I d like to read a piece I wrote last year for our Lenten series titled, What is the Cross? 1
What is the cross? WHAT IS THE CROSS? To the Romans it was a symbol of pain and shame, reserved for the most disgraced of criminals. To Jesus disciples it was a symbol of honor embodying Jesus strength and sacrifice. To the Emperor Constantine and his armies it was an emblem of victory and military supremacy. To early Christians it pointed to servitude, humility and forgiveness. In the Middle Ages, some in the church viewed it as a relic guaranteeing answered prayers and the assurance of salvation. To others it was a solemn reminder of Jesus broken body and of his shed blood. What is the cross? In our day, some view it as an embarrassment cruel, barbaric, sadistic something to be avoided, while others grow peaceful, reflective and grateful at its sight. It is hung in homes; draped around us on jewelry; and, tattooed on arms and shoulders. To some it s merely decorative, almost an afterthought, but to others it speaks of life and power and it gives purpose and hope. What is the cross? Listen to the words of the Apostle Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians chapter 1 verses 18-24 selected: For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 2
Our focus this year is on The Seven Last Words of Christ the final statements Jesus made on the cross. The last words of a dying person are often treasured by those they love, because they reveal what s most important to that person. Similarly, the last statements Jesus made on the cross communicate to us who He was and what was on his mind as passed from this life to life with his Father in heaven. As we worship in singing, I encourage you to turn your focus to Christ and the provisions He has made available to us through the cross. Luke 23:26 & 27 and 32-39 As they led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him. Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals one on his right, the other on his left. Jesus said, Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing. And they divided up his clothes by casting lots. The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One. The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar and said, If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself. There was a written notice above him, which read: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: Aren t you the Christ? Save yourself and us! Jesus first words on the cross were, Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing. It s fitting that Jesus first words from the cross focused on forgiveness, because forgiveness is the essence of the cross God forgiving us for our sins and opening the door for us to be in relationship with Him, and us receiving the power in Christ to forgive others for their sins against us. Jesus included words on forgiveness at the heart of the prayer we know as The Lord s Prayer, which He taught us to pray, Forgive us our trespasses (or sins) as we also forgive those who trespass against us. Matthew 6:12 I want us to focus today on the comprehensive nature of Jesus forgiveness. This is critical for us to grasp because unforgiveness is a heavy chain that has the potential to make us prisoners for life, but in Jesus Christ, through the death He died on the cross, we are free! Listen to how the Apostle Paul explains the power of the cross in Colossians 2:13-15: When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the 3
cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. Colossians 2:13-15 As we reflect on the comprehensive nature of Jesus forgiveness, I want us to focus on three aspects of forgiveness. First, in Christ, we can be forgiven no matter what we ve done for the sin that stands in the way of us being in relationship with God. God is holy and sinless and sin can t enter his presence. As human beings every one of us has sinned. It s part of our nature. Our sin keeps us from God. It creates a gap that we have no ability to cross. An illustration Bill Hybels uses in his book, Just Walk Across The Room explains our need for forgiveness well. MORALITY LADDER ILLUSTRATION Receiving forgiveness through Jesus is the only way that any of us can close the gap that our sin creates between us and God. As 1 John 1:9 says, If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. I John 1:9 Through Jesus death on the cross, forgiveness is available to every one of us, no matter what we ve done. The 2 nd aspect of the comprehensive forgiveness Jesus provides for us through the cross is the power to receive forgiveness from others no matter what we ve done to them. Every one of us can think of people we ve hurt during our lives through our actions. Often that knowledge of wrongdoing to others is accompanied by shame, guilt and feelings of condemnation. Unforgiveness that we deserve because of sin we ve done against others is a heavy chain that that holds us in bondage. And our enemy, Satan, loves to bring those wrongs to mind because he knows he can debilitate us with guilt and shame and doubt. The forgiveness that s available to us through Jesus at the cross frees us from bondage. It gives an opportunity for those whom we ve wronged to extend forgiveness to us and allows our relationships with others to be restored. And even in cases where those we ve wronged in the past are unable or unwilling to forgive us, we can find freedom in Christ as we confess our sin and receive his forgiveness. And the 3 rd aspect of the forgiveness that is available to us through the cross is the power to forgive others who have wronged us no matter what they ve done to us. Unforgiveness is a chain that that holds us captive. When we hold onto unforgiveness toward 4
those who have wronged us, we re in bondage. We re captive to the hurt and pain that was inflicted on us. In a very real way, we continue to re-experience the hurt as those thoughts and feelings of what was done to us rise up inside of us. When we hold onto bitterness over wrongs that have been done to us, we feel like we re holding it over the other person and somehow harming them, but the reality is that we re hurting ourselves. Sometimes the person we re not forgiving isn t even aware that they did anything to us, or they ve forgotten it. We re only hurting ourselves. Because of the blood that Jesus shed on the cross, and the death He died, you and I have the power to forgive those who have wronged us and have our relationship with that person potentially restored. Through Jesus sacrifice on the cross, you and I can be forgiven by God and walk in relationship with Him. We can be forgiven for wrongs that we ve done to others. And we have the power to forgive those who have sinned against us. The forgiveness Jesus provides is comprehensive. It was no accident that Jesus first words on the cross were, Father forgive them Jesus understood his need to forgive those who were in the process of sinning against Him and He understood the central place forgiveness holds in each of our lives the ones He was giving his life for. I d like you to read Colossians 2:13-15 aloud with me as our declaration of the forgiveness Jesus has made available to us on the cross: When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. I d like you to watch this video featuring Ann Beiler, the founder of Auntie Ann s Pretzels. It s a great example of the comprehensive nature of forgiveness. It s alluded to, but Ann s forgiveness centered around 6 years of sexual abuse she experienced at the hands of her 5
counselor. And forgiveness for Ann included an aspect of forgiveness that is very important, but which we haven t discussed today the ability to forgive ourselves. VIDEO As we focus on this theme of forgiveness during our response time I invite you to reflect on these questions: Have you received Jesus forgiveness for your sins? Is there anything you ve done to someone, which you need to let go of by giving it to Jesus at the cross? Is there anyone you need to extend forgiveness to who has hurt or wounded you? Do you harbor unforgiveness toward yourself that you need to release to Jesus on the cross? 6